Palm Weaver-ing and Bunny Basketer-ing!

According to my calendar, tomorrow is Palm Sunday, which commemorates the day that Jebus rode into a town on an ass that his buddies stole from outside the gates, and then everybody who didn't have a coat to lay down, put palm fronds (a symbol for triumph and victory) down on the ground instead, so that the ass could walk around without having to soil its hooves on the sandy ground (because that was the style at the time -- to pretty up the path of someone thought worthy of the highest honour) , and then the extra fronds that they didn't need for a carpet, were waved around while people sang "Hosanna!" (which is also the name of one of the songs in the great rock opera, "Jebus Cripes Superstar" by that one Weber guy and that other Rice guy).

For Palm Sunday in modern times, people get palm fronds when they go to church. (It's a reward, like when you get a tootsie-roll at the bank, or a cow eraser at the dentist!) (Unless you live someplace that's else, where they get pussy willows instead. *snerk*) But then what do you do with them once you get them home? You can't eat them. They don't make good clothes. You can't fuel your car with them. So what then? Well, some people -- but only people who are very boring -- will just take that palm as is, all flat-like and straight, and stick it on their wall as decoration. Maybe tucked behind the corner of a picture frame, or a crucifix.

But other people -- far more interesting and creative people -- will take the palm and make something else out of it by weaving or braiding it. If you'd like to be one of the creative people:

• Here's a place that has some great online tutorials on palm weaving!
  


• Sister Cecilia Schmitt, of the Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls in Minnesota wrote a fabulous book called "Palm Weaving: The Story... and The Art" (which has a companion video and guide-sheets), and an excerpt from that book can be found here. I don't know where one can purchase this anymore. Her website seems to have vanished. Boo! Perhaps one could contact the Franciscan Sisters.
  


• And here's a place that has a list of other books to buy on palm weaving!

Isn't that frabulous?!

But wait! That's not all!

Palm Sunday is the beginning of Holy Week, and at the end of Holy Week is Easter. Easter is, of course, the day that Jebus un-died and started popping in on people and making them stick fingers in his sword holes and stuff. Well, in modern times, nobody really wants to have a party where people stick fingers in sword holes because: Ewww. So instead people hide colored eggs and wait for something called "The Easter Bunny" to bring them chocolate. But in order for EB to leave you some chocolate, you must have a place for it to go! Say, for example, an Easter Basket. And if you want to know how to make an Easter Basket that looks like a bunny and is made from a bleach bottle (or vinegar bottle, or any other similarly shaped bottle), here are directions on how to do it! And here is a sample photo!

Wow!

April 11, 2006 - ETA: Here's a link to some great Pussy Willow photos from Stamppy!